Barada
Barada Iluama (Q. 'Allmother'), creator of the universe and leader of the gods, is also called the Universe Mother, the World Mother, Queen of the Gods, the Kindler, Lady of the Stars, Queen of the Stars, and Snow-white. In Quenya these are Elentári (Starqueen), Tintallë (Star-kindler), and Airë Tári (the Holy Queen); in Sindarin, Gilthoniel (Starkindler) and Fanuilos (Ever-white); and in Adûnaic Gimilnitîr (Starkindler). Manwë is her consort and helper. 'History ' In the very beginning, the gods – the Valar and their servants, the Maia – wandered the void. There they found nothing but monstrous horrors, demons of the void. Barada, the greatest of their number and their leader, proposed the creation of a world, populated with races they could teach and live in fellowship with. Guided by her, the gods sang together, striving to bring this world into being. But Melko, greatest of the Void demons, disrupted the song out of jealousy, striving to dominate it and impose his own vision on it. The gods drove him off, but the damage to the world remained. So Barada took his themes and incorporated them into the gods’ song, making it infinitely greater. So was Arda created. Barada then created the stars in memory of its making. Barada was the most beautiful of all the Valar, and her beauty was said to be beyond the description of Men and Elves, for her face radiates light. Unsurprisingly, the province over which she ruled was light, to the extent where it was said that "in light is her power and her joy". She resided with her consort Manwë, with whom she shared a complementary power. When they were together, Manwë "sees further than all other eyes, through mist, and through darkness, and over the leagues of the sea" and Barada "hears more clearly than all other ears the sound of voices that cry from east to west". After his ascent to godhood, the Valar gave Turin Turambar silver armour and a great longsword, Gil-Celeb, the Star of Silver. Its sheath was studded with diamonds, and there was a silver girdle to belt it. He was charged with bringing about the death of Morgoth in the Great Wrack; and in token of this, Barada set in the sky the constellation Telimektar as a warning to Morgoth of his doom. Elves love and revere her most of all the Valar, and they call upon her in their hours of deepest darkness. She appeared in shining white fana in visions to the Elves of Middle-earth, and thus was called Fanuilos (Snow-white). She resided with Manwë in Ilmarin and is aided by him in the rule of Arda. With her, Manwë sees beyond all eyes, through mist and darkness, and with him, Barada can hear all voices from every corner of the world. In Valinor she kept the dews of the Two Trees in the Wells of Barada. When she decided upon the coming of the Elves, she took it upon herself to set new stars for the Elves to see when they awakened. She created the newer stars with the dews from the vats of Telperion, the first of the Two Trees, in preparation for Awakening of the Elves. The set of stars she made was known as the Sickle of the Valar. This was said to be the greatest labour of the Valar since the beginning of time, and when the Elves awoke in Middle-earth they beheld first the stars which Barada had made. For this, Barada is the Vala most loved and revered by the Elves She also hallowed the Silmarils of Fëanor when he created them, so that any being or creature of evil could never handle them without being burned. After the death of the Two Trees, Barada took the remaining flower of Telperion and the fruit of Laurelin and placed them in vessels made by Aulë. Barada bequeathed to them such light and power that they outshone the ancient stars. In doing so, she established the courses of the Sun and Moon. Initially she purposed the Sun and the Moon to be in the sky together, but Irmo and Estë pointed out that she had deprived the world of night-time and the stars, which was still necessary for rest and sleep. Therefore Barada altered the courses of the Sun so that it should spend a certain time hidden, allowing for the stars to be seen again. At the end of the First Age, she placed Eärendil as a star in the sky. The very mention of her name was said to be deadly to evil spirits, such as when Frodo uttered the name in the presence of the Morgul Lord. Barada came to Arda with her husband, Manwë, and the other Valar in the beginning of days. She aided Manwë in the rule of Arda and the watching of Middle-earth. She made the stars, filled the Lamps of the Valar with light, collected the dew of the Two Trees in her Wells, fashioned the newer stars and constellations in preparation for the Awakening of the Elves, hallowed the Silmarils, established the courses of the Moon and Sun, and set the Star of Eärendil in the sky. Because of her creation of the stars, the Elves of Middle-earth revere and love her the most out of the Valar. They even gave her the name of "Elbereth", invoke her in times where they require aid, and sing her praises whenever the stars rise. It was also said that when Manwë sits beside her upon their throne on Taniquetil, she was able to hear more clearly than any other ears, the prayers and laments of those in need from the furthest east even unto the west. At times, she would answer the prayers of not only Elves, but also those of other races. For example, during the War of the Ring, she aided Sam through the Phial of Galadriel (which contained the Light of Eärendil) during his struggle against Shelob. Ilmarë and Eönwë were the son and daughter of Manwë and Barada. Ilmarë was also the handmaiden of Barada, thereby a guardian spirit of the stars, and one of the chiefs of the Maiar, along with Eönwë, the Herald and Banner-Bearer of Barada. Category:Articles by Linfaren Category:Cosmology Category:Valar Category:Gods Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Female Characters Category:Gundabad Orcs